ELIZABETH MWENGOCOMMUNITY members of the Mukwe constituency in the Kavango East region say one day was not enough for all of them to be granted national documents.
This was said following a home affairs mobile team visiting the constituencys villages yesterday, to give those without national documents a chance to apply.
However, the team only visited for a day, and not everyone had the chance to apply.
Many residents of Mukwe have been living without national documents for the past 31 years, due to long travel distances and the high cost of transportation which sees villagers travel 200km to get to a nearby civil registration office in Rundu.
“The officials from home affairs are really doing a good job, but believe me one day is not enough for all the villagers to be catered for. These people dont have money. If they wont get attention today or tomorrow, they have to walk to the next station,” said Johannes Thikusho, a village development committee member from Mayara at Mukwe.
As a result of the lack of national documents, vulnerable members of the community who qualify to receive social grants from the government are placed in a tremendous predicament because they cannot access certain government grants due to lack of national documents.
The constituency has an office that only caters for citizens under five years of age, and it is not in a good condition.
The ministry of home affairs released their staff members to conduct mobile civil registrations of undocumented Namibians at Mukwe, following a request from the Kavango regional chairperson and Mukwe constituency councillor Damian Maghambayi.
Community members were glad to have such services brought to their doorstep because many find it challenging to get to Rundu.
“Catering for everyone is what we want, but the only problem is resources, its not only Mukwe, there are other constituencies that need such attention. We are trying to use what we have to help where we can,” said Collins Muleke, director of national civil registration at the home affairs ministry.
Apart from the distance and lack of transport money, community members say some children do not have documents because their parents left the town after they were born, leaving them in the care of their grandparents who are unable to register them without their parents documents.
“Yes, we are trying our best. We are five [officials] from home affairs, even with help from the community members, we cant cater for all. I confirm one day is not enough for a village and we will have to improve on that,” said Kudumo Johannes, a staff member of home affairs Rundu.
The villagers urged the ministry to conduct outreaches three times a year, for more than one day.
